


Arcade Nights

by Cinnamaldeide



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Arcades, Beverly Katz is the Best, Don’t copy to another site, Friendship, M/M, Meet-Cute, Revised Version, Season/Series 01, aesthetic included
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 07:36:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20188654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamaldeide/pseuds/Cinnamaldeide
Summary: Will knew how to have a good time, Beverly was sure. He just needed to find the right playmate.





	Arcade Nights

**Author's Note:**

> It’s kind of lonely not to celebrate the #BottomHannibalDay anymore, althought it’s a good thing that we don’t need the reminder. Why not introducing a “The Flip” Day instead, I wondered. Many thanks to [Another_lost_one](https://archiveofourown.org/users/another_lost_one) for having beta read this work, which is will probably be included in a book I’m planning to publish ❀

It had been a pleasant surprise to learn that, under those layers of persistent grumpiness and self-imposed unhappiness, Will Graham concealed a competitive streak. Not that Beverly would have suspected his passion for old arcade games to ever surface, much less in a fancy bar like the kind Jimmy proposed.

At the time, she had surmised it had something to do with Will’s southern origin, endless suffocating nights in front of a beeping machine that distorted your attention from the unbearable heat, but his intent gaze spoke of a child whose dad had no money to waste, grown into an adult whose juvenile crave was still rooted deep within.

Beverly had talked him into accompanying her to a proper, old-fashioned arcade, just the two of them. Reluctantly, with a wary but yearning look in his eyes, Will had accepted.

He had so much fun, Beverly didn’t need to win their pretextual challenge at Froggers and darts to feel accomplished, especially when the prize was another round of whatever cheap beer they were consuming. She endeavoured to repeat the experience, schedule their arcade nights, even came up with themed evenings at times, and moderately teased Will with her contagious smile. It didn’t take long before Will found an equally fierce playmate to match his enthusiasm.

“Beverly, ah,” Will had announced in the middle of their Asteroids session, after she returned from the bar bearing glass bottles and coasters. “This is Hannibal,” he had said, eyes averted and hands folded in his pockets. She hadn’t needed more. She might not have been a detective, but she wasn’t _blind _either.

Reason for which Beverly couldn’t overlook the impressive three-piece suit the guy nonchalantly wore, like it was no big deal. That was physically impossible.

She was polite and engaging, let the sense of discomfort wear off, watched Will gradually getting acquainted with the handsome, conspicuous man, while their drinks perspired and their gazes sought each other.

It stuck as an endearing display to Beverly. She couldn’t bear to needle Will about his enormous crush at barely first sight. “You like this Hannibal guy” she conversationally noted one of the following days, lab coat and sterile gloves on. Her comment visibly unsettled Will, whose consultation had yet to lead their equipe to the current culprit, the infamous Chesapeake Ripper according to the profiler. She resisted the urge to investigate who approached whom first, what game they had been playing while she was providing beverages, if Will had a thing for elegant older men or this one was an exception. She just offered a complicit smirk whenever he delivered Hannibal’s greetings, blithely appreciated the sweet, tentative smiles on Will’s face whenever he glimpsed Hannibal in the crowd, when he tagged along on Beverly’s invitation.

They had began meeting on their own as well, and she was proud of Will for not forfeiting their encounters to devote himself to his flamboyant paramour. Hannibal endeavoured to establish and maintain a friendly relationship with her, an amiable conviviality to inspire her approval and involvement. Never had she felt unwanted, out of place, despite the inevitable close proximity of their stance, the content line of their mouths even while silence lingered. A rare occurrence for Hannibal, Beverly could bet.

Sipping her generous serving of red cherry beer, which Hannibal _ insisted _ she tried, Beverly admired her besotted companions intent on a particularly vicious pinball match. Will was leaning onto the loud machine with spirited eyes, Hannibal’s possessive hand low on his hip.  
Needless to say, Beverly frequently speculated on their bedroom predicament, in a most subdued way. The perks of being close, but not _ too _close.

“Those two,” a young woman drew Beverly’s attention all of a sudden, indicating the deeply involved players with a bejeweled finger. “You’ve been staring at them the whole evening,” she noticed, eyes shining with a suggestive glint. “Choose one, I’m fine with either.”

“On, don’t bother honey,” Beverly casually dismissed her proposal of collaboration. “They flip.”  
“Yeah, I can see _ that _ ,” she answered, frowning slightly.  
Beverly smirked, nodded with her chin towards Hannibal’s overbearing posture. Very telling, almost indecent, tastefully so. “Not the way you mean, darling.”

**Author's Note:**

> Beverly tried to hook up with that stranger afterwards, of course, and Hannibal was inducing a seizure through that pinball machine I swear.  
I wasn’t kidding about the book. Let me know if you’re interested, or if you spot errors I should fix.  
[Find me elsewhere](https://cinnamaldeide.carrd.co). [Post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/cinnamaldeide/status/1160142782742368256?s=20).


End file.
